Northwestern `Gets No Respect' Despite Its Winning Record

October 30, 1992|by KEITH GROLLER, The Morning Call

Northwestern football coach Bob Mitchell is only half-kidding when he calls his Tigers "the Rodney Dangerfield of high school teams."

Despite a 6-2 record that has Northwestern in the thick of the Centennial League race and in contention for a District 11 2A playoff berth, nobody seems to be talking about the Tigers and giving them much respect.

But that's just fine with Mitchell, who knows that, with three more victories, his team could very well be garnering championships along with the missing respect.

"Very quietly, we've put together a nice season so far," said Mitchell, whose team hosts Pleasant Valley tomorrow afternoon in New Tripoli. "We still have a tough road left with three quality opponents on our schedule, but we feel very good about we've done so far.

"We were a darkhorse coming into the season. We felt that if we stayed healthy, we would be competitive."

Northwestern has won its three nonleague games, topping Hamburg, Kutztown and Salisbury. In the Centennial League, the Tigers have beaten Northern Lehigh, East Stroudsburg and Lehighton, but fell short against Pocono Mountain and Notre Dame.

Entering the final three weeks of the season, six teams are within a half-game of first-place in the Centennial League. Stroudsburg is on top at 3-1, Notre Dame and Palmerton are second at 4-2, and the Tigers join East Stroudsburg and Pocono Mountain at 3-2.

"It's been crazy this year," Mitchell said. "Nobody seems to have taken control. Stroudsburg's on top now and they could go through the rest of the league with one loss. Otherwise, you're probably looking at co-champions or tri-champions with two losses apiece."

Northwestern isn't thinking "title" just yet. It's only focused on a Pleasant Valley team that is better than its 1-7 record indicates.

"We're not looking past them by any means," Mitchell said. "They're a good team that just hasn't been lucky. Their one win is over Stroudsburg, so that tells you what kind of team they can be when they're playing well.

"They have a number of weapons ... Phil Dorn is a good quarterback, and Kevin Serfass is a fullback that used to play guard for them. I look for them to line up in some type of I-formation to utilize his size and strength."

Of course, Mitchell has his own weapons ready to strike. Both backs, Trevor Dolena and John Griffiths, have gained more than 700 yards. The key to the ground attack is up front.

Mitchell says center Jeremy Smith, guards Craig Farkas, Kody Neumoyer and Chris Sharpe and tackles Jim Filyac, Zane Madtes and Greg Wirth have ignited a rushing attack that has amassed more than 220 yards rushing five times this season.

"Our first goal has already been accomplished and that's a winning season," said Mitchell, who said the best mark in school history was 9-2 in 1987. "We just wanted to get ourselves in position to play some big games late in the season and that's what we've done.

"Of course, we realize that one loss and we're out of the league and district playoff picture. We've got to stay focused and keep working hard."

"It's a group of coaches that's been together for 11 years now," Mitchell said. "It's a good group.

"The people are getting excited about our team. We don't have a very large following, but we have a loyal following that follows us no matter what. Hopefully, we can reward them with a few more wins."

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Meanwhile, in the East Penn Conference, no really huge matchups stick out tonight or tomorrow. Call it the "calm before the storm" as gigantic games -- Allen-Central Catholic next week; Allen-Dieruff and Bethlehem Catholic-Central Catholic Nov. 6-7 -- loom on the horizon.

But it's Trick-or-Treat night in many Lehigh Valley communities and the contending clubs better beware of being tricked before they get their treats.